The Research Of Breeding Habitat Selection Of Chinese Merganser(Mergus Squamatus)

This is a study about the habitat selection of Chinese merganser in Bishui Natural Reserve of Heilongjiang Province. The study with factor analysis and samples analysis persisted from 2006 to 2007 (April-July). 140 samples (67 samples were not used) were gained and established, containing 8 samples of nest environment and 59 samples of foraging habitat selection. We analyzed the data by the Chi-square test, the Mann-Whitney U test, Independent-Samples T Test and the principal components. The results are shown as follows: The Mann-Whitney U test showed that there was a obvious difference among the nest lengthwise, the nest wide wise and the distance from the river(p<0.05) in the data of Chinese merganser use natural cavities or not. But there was not an obvious difference among the tree height, tree DBH and nest height. So we can say that the Chinese merganser prefers nesting in the tree cavities, which are wider, deeper and nearer to the river, more than any other nesting trees.Comparing the factor of the nest tree and the potential nest tree, we also found that there was an obvious difference among the factor of hide, green coverage and distance from the road (p <0.05) . It showed that Chinese merganser preferred the nest trees that were hidden; grass covered and was farer from road.By analyzing the principal components of nest environment factor, it showed that water length, density of shrub; altitude height, height of shrub, DBH of trees and height of trees were the first principal components and contribute most to the nest selection. The absolute value of load coefficient were 0.868,0.792,0.771,0.749,0.672,0.604 and 0.868.They constitute the main part of the first principal components which is the factor affected the nest selection of Chinese merganser. They can be named as nest-building convenience factor.The Chinese merganser also has selectivity to the habitat channel segment in broad mingled forest of needle near the bank. Using the Chi-square test to analyze the frequency of the Chinese merganser appearing on every habitat channel segment near the bank, the X~2 data was 29.424,the partner probability was P<0.001.It shows that there was a difference among the frequency of the China merganser appearing on every habitat channel segment near the bank. By studying on the living and foraging habit selection of Chinese merganser, we found that there was a obvious difference (p<0.05) among the used and unused factor as hide rate (p=0.008) ,the DBH of trees (p=0.002) ,height of trees (p=0.000) ,density of shrub (p=0.000),density of grass (p=0.006),river width (p=0.028) and the distance from the road (p=0.001) .The Chinese merganser prefers to using the habit those conceal degree is high , the arbor chest footpath is big , the arbor is dramatically higher , bush cover degree is bigger , grass family cover degree is wider , channel segment width is narrower , spur roaddistance is more distant.By analyzing the principal components of living and environment factor we found that themain factors affected Chinese merganser selection were the trees, the conceal degree, thedisturbance degree, the landform; conceal degree of high-sky hide, water and the density oftrees.